Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

sddavis63 I've been vaguely aware of the story of Grey Owl/Archie Belaney, and am truly glad to have come across this movie that depicts at least a part of his life. Grey Owl was one of the first "environmentalists." A hunter, trapper and guide, he gave up that life and committed himself to the preservation of nature, concerned especially with the plight of the beaver as it neared extinction and with the preservation of the forests. That in itself is interesting, but what made Grey Owl even more interesting is that he lived a lie; or, maybe more appropriately, he lived a dream, and he became that which he dreamed. "A man becomes what he dreams" were words spoken to him by a Sioux chief near the end of the movie. They apply perfectly to Grey Owl's life.If you don't know the full story of his life, then Grey Owl is a bit of a mystery for a good part of the movie. He says he's half-Scottish and half-Apache and raised by the Ojibway, but he tells different stories about which parent was Scottish and which was Apache. There's a mystery about his past; we know only that he was adopted by an Ojibway chief and that he adopted the lifestyle of the Ojibway. He keeps to himself, lives in the wilderness, hunts and traps and guides to earn some money, and writes the odd article about life in the wilderness. His life changes when he meets Pony, and they fall in love. He's less isolated, and he gets a book published that leads to a speaking tour in England, when the mystery of his life is finally revealed.Grey Owl was born in Hastings as Archie Belaney. Raised by aunts, he dreamed about Indians and dreamed about being one. Eventually, he went off to Canada to live the life, making up the story of being a "half- breed." His life was a lie, but in a way it was also painfully honest. As the Sioux chief said, he did become what he dreamed. This became his life, and these became his people, and the cause to which he was committed was very sincere - obviously sincere enough that, as we're told at the movie's end, the newspaper that uncovered the truth agreed not to publish the story until after his death.I really liked Pierce Brosnan and Annie Galipeau as Grey Owl and Pony. They did great jobs in those roles, and brought an authenticity to the characters they were playing. There's an inherent sadness to both characters: Grey Owl knowing that he isn't who he claims to be, Pony wanting to rediscover who she thinks she should be. They worked extremely well together. I wouldn't call this a spectacular movie. It's directed by Richard Attenborough, but it's not one of his historical or biographical epics; it's by no means another "Ghandi." If it's lacking anything it's probably that there's no real study of "why?" or "how?" Maybe a little more of Archie Belaney's background - how he came to be so accepted by the Ojibway - would have been appreciated. There are beautiful views of some Canadian wilderness, and the atmosphere of the movie works. It was authentic, and while the movie has little of what you might call "excitement" or "action" to draw the viewer in, it's the general atmosphere and tone and feel of the movie that does that quite effectively. A very good biography of a fascinating man. (7/10)

John Ruffle James Bond in the wilderness? Well, that's the way it looks: Pierce Brosnan is after all best known as Bond in "Tommorrow Never Dies" (1997) and "Golden Eye" (1995) - both shot prior to this release. Frankly, the film's two leads are both badly miscast, with Brosnan turning in the marginally more convincing performance, and with Annie Galipeau (as Pony, Grey Owl's love interest) having to battle with carelessly-written dialogue.The two aunts, on the other hand are perfect. But the film is not about aunts. It is about the wilds of the Canadian wilderness. And while the photography may be pretty, there is no grit to the harsh reality of living in the wilds. Annie Galipeau, as Pony, just fails to be convincing, unfortunately, because I really wanted to believe in her. She was a relatively inexperienced twenty-year-old on this film, and it could have worked, but Richard Attenborough was maybe just not tough enough on her. He makes her look vulnerable, which of course she is.. but in the wrong sort of way.But one thing for sure, she appears picture-perfect throughout. But mascara and eyebrow thickener in the wilderness? It just doesn't fit, especially as she only ever seems to walk forest trials with Bond (sorry, Grey Owl), and use photo-ops for kissing close-ups.I've lived with forest people in the Pacific North West, and they simply don't look this pretty and stay so sweet while fighting for survival. Which brings me to another point: the film fails to evoke the period in which it is set: the 1930s. I put the blame here largely on a lack-lustre script that is keen on preaching at the expense of dramatic arc, plot points and those small details that can evoke period through action.William Nicholson wrote the screenplay, and his latest offering, "Elizabeth, the Golden Age" opened three days ago, so I do hope there is an improvement.Yes, I've read the comments others have posted, but I'm not convinced. A lot of potential, but mishandled and even maybe ill-conceived. If it had had a religious film, it would have been panned, but because it preaches environmentalism, the film remains somewhat above criticism, since it is "politically correct." Sorry, for all that, I don't buy it. Amen.

vchimpanzee I was bored a lot of the time at first, but once Archie/Grey Owl discovered his new career the movie improved a lot. The speeches by Grey Owl were the best part of the movie, but it was clear he didn't like being put on display like a sideshow freak. Still, Grey Owl played the part, showing the Indian that people expected. I liked the scenes where Archie reunited with those who raised him.Although animals were shown being hurt or killed, much was left to the imagination. There was nothing graphic, although some people might be upset by the scenes. A deer falls after a gunshot, but of course we all know it was trained to do so. Other violence is just assumed. Grey Owl saw a fox or wolf in distress, swung a weapon of some kind, and in the next scene carried a dead animal. Beyond this, there is nothing offensive. Not unless you want political correctness, which wasn't to be found in the 1930s.Pierce Brosnan did an outstanding job, and so did many of the actors playing "Red Indians", as the movie called them numerous times. Actually, I could say "Native American" because the name was first given to the two continents, of which Canada is a part. Annie Galipeau was good for the most part, but she didn't do anger very well, in my opinion. And she seemed kind of stiff so much of the time. In other scenes, she was adorable.There was plenty of great scenery, and lots of good wildlife shots. There wasn't a lot of what sounded like Native American influence in the background music.This is a good movie for anyone wanting to learn more about Native American culture (including what I assume were authentic dances), and for anyone interested in preserving nature.

BigLaxFan94 After viewing this film I saw that Mr. Brosnan did good in portraying Grey Owl however the film itself was rather bland. Although he did portray Grey Owl to the best of his ability since he resembled him quite well in the film, it was just the film itself being dull. Too bad it didn't do so well in the box office. It could have been a lot better.But ......... anyways............. this is why I gave this film a 6 out of 10.